The invention relates to a drive axle for electric motor driven vehicles having at least one electric motor disposed on the axle and having drive shafts that are driven by the motor shafts thereof accompanied by interposition of a planetary gearing stage, which drive shafts are connected with the output shafts that carry the wheels seated on the drive axle, accompanied by the respective interposition of a brake assembly as well as a further planetary gearing.
A drive axle having the aforementioned features is disclosed in DE 200 10 563 U1. With the known axle a single three-phase motor is provided as a drive for both drive shafts, and the output shafts that are coupled thereon accompanied by the interposition of a brake assembly and a planetary gearing, and which drive the wheels seated on the axle; the single motor shaft of the three-phase motor is connected with the two drive shafts, accompanied by the interposition of a differential gearing, whereby one of the two drive shafts is guided through a bore formed in the motor shaft on that side of the three-phase motor that is opposite the motor shaft. With the known axle, inserted between motor shaft and the two drive shafts is a planetary differential gearing stage that combines a gearing stage and the necessary differential, in a special structural embodiment, in a structural unit.
The known drive axle has the drawback that the differential, required due to the drive concept using a single three-phase motor, despite the approach proposed in DE 20 10 563 U1, limits the output of the drive axle with regard to torque and final speed of the driven wheels, and in addition causes high operating noises during the operation of the axle. The planetary differential gearing stage that is combined in a structural unit additionally has a complicated design and manufacture. Furthermore, since a differential lock is dispensed with, the vehicle comes to a stop if a wheel loses traction. To the extent that this drawback can be avoided by the additional installation of a differential lock, such a differential lock signifies a further manufacturing and assembly effort, and hence an increase in costs. In addition, the overall size of the drive axle is increased.
It is therefore an object of the invention to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks of a drive axle having the aforementioned general features.